30th June - cloudy, light drizzle at times, cool, 17C, light breeze SSW

Willey;

A great Spotted Woodpecker and a juv flew in to the top (Hurls Furlong) spinney 0830h.

A Green Woodpecker on the lawn mid-day.

The fledged Swallows in the shed did not like todays weather and spent a lot of time on the door waiting for their parents to feed them, only occasionally flying around.

Stanford reservoir; evening.

Seven Common Sandpipers on dam/overflow.  One Oystercatcher. Four Grey Wagtails.

c10 Swifts and several House Martins over.

Common Terns busy catching fish for youngsters.

Red-legged Partridge singing.

A Little Egret over.

29th June - sunny spells, light NW, 21C

Misterton;

Spotted Flycatcher - pair taking food to nest in Ivy on a tree.

Lilbourne meadows; evening

Two Green Sandpipers, a Little Ringed Plover, four Grey herons, three Little Egrets.

Lapwing and Shoveler families still.

A Linnet and three Goldfinches.

A Curlew flew in, on to the wet meadows area but out of view.

DIRFT/A5 Pools; evening.

Little Ringed Plover - two adults and three juvs.

Two Egyptian Geese again.

Two Oystercatchers flew in.

28th June - cloudy, mod breeze SW, 19C

Willey;

This morning 1130h a Red Kite flew in to the Long Spinney, a little later two flew out, then a third joined them and they moved off slowly SW along the spinney.  One may have been a juv, but the views were not good enough to be sure.

A Sparrowhawk flew north over the paddocks, 1530h.

27th June - suny spells, light WSW, 25C

Lilbourne meadows; evening

Four each of Gren Sandpipers, Little Egrets and Grey Herons.    Shoveler and Lapwing families still present.   Teal now increased to six.

Shawell sandpit/landfill; evening

Twelve Swifts, Little Grebes all very active, three Gadwall, a Red Kite

26th June - Sunny spells,25C, light -mod WSW

Willey; afternoon

Hunting over the barn field grass being rowed up and baled were a Red Kite, a Buzzard, a Kestrel and a Lesser Black Backed Gull.

Lilbourne Meadow; evening

Two Curlews, one was colour ringed, these flew off and a third bird flew in.

Shoveler family, three Grey Herons, six Little Egrets (two looked like juvs).

A Green Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover.  Two Little Grebe juvs.

Three Teal.

DIRFT/A5 Pools

Two Egyptian Geese

25th June - hot sunny, 30C, light-mod WSW

Managed a brief look at Eyebrook inlet whilst passing this afternoon..

c 40 Lapwings, two Green Sandpipers.

24th June - sunny spell, sometimes humid, 25C, light WSW breeze

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Three Green Sandpipers still, two Little Egret and a Hobby flew through fast chased by Swallows.

Magna Park; 

Some of the butterflies seen this afternoon.  Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Marbled White, Ringlet, Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Large White, also Small Skipper.  

23rd June - mostly sunny, light SSW, more cloud late afternoon. 25C

Misterton; morning

Spotted Flycatcher carrying food.  Two Stock Doves singing in the wood.  Two Goldcrests, Blackcap still singing, a Grey Heron at the lake.

22nd June - sunny, thunderstorms around late afternoon. 26C, light NW-N-NE

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Three Redshanks on the dam, also first juv Black-headed Gull on the dam.

Grey Wagtail around outflow.

Lilbourne Meadows; 

Two Green Sandpipers and a Little Ringed Plover.  The three Lapwing chicks still.  Even more Mallard ducklings.  Little Grebe with chick on the water.

A drake Teal.  One Little Egret.

Stanford Reservoir; late afternoon.

Three Redshanks and a juv Black-headed Gull on the dam.

Redshanks were opposite end of the dam to me and heat shimmer/haze made photos almost impossible, but you can see I'm not mistaken.

Lots of Meadow Browns

21st June - mostly sunny, 25C, humid pm, light SW

Busy day - no obs

20th June - rain am, becoming brighter and warmer pm, light SE, 18C

Soar Brook Lake; morning.

An Oystercatcher taking food to the island, an adult Little Grebe feeding a chick on the water.

A few House Martins and c20 Swifts feeding overhead.

A Grey Heron and Cormorant.

19th June - sunny, 24C, light SE

No obs today.

18th June - sunny spells, high cloud, humid, 25C, thunder about later afternoon, rain late evening.

Willey;

The first rain for about 5 weeks!  Needed.

I know there are 12 Swallow nests in the village this year.

Lilbourne Meadows; early evening.

Three Green Sandpipers still.  Also a Little Ringed Plover.

Shoveler and Lapwing young all present still.  A new Mallard brood of 11 ducklings.

17th June - sunny periods. A few spots of early first thing, 25C, light SE

Lilbourne Meadows; evening

Shoveler and Lapwing family still present.

c100 Starlings feeding, a Little Egret, a drake Teal.

Three Green Sandpipers.

A Buzzard over.

16th June - sunny, light ENE, 27C

Lilbourne Meadows; morning

Two Green Sandpipers, drake Shoveler, a Curlew, drake Teal, six Gadwall, a Little Egret, four Linnets, Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Looked here again in the evening, the Shoveler family were showing, as were the Lapwing three chicks.  Two Little Egrets, four Swifts.

Shawell sandpit/landfill; evening.

Two Red Kites, two Swifts, Little Grebes very busy and some 'trilling'.  Great Crested Grebe pair, a little display, but no evidence of nest yet.  Eight lapwings.

Egyptian Geese not seen!

15th June - Sunny, 26C, light NE

Willey; afternoon.

Three Broad-bodied Chasers at the back field pond, busy ovi-positing.

John Moore spotted a newly emerged Scarlet Tiger moth on his house wall, we are on the edge of its range currently.

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Nothing new.  Three Lapwing chicks still, two drake Shovelers, a Little Egret.

Soar Brook Lake; evening.

Oystercatcher juvenile and adult, similarly a Raven and juvenile.   A Little grebe feeding a chick on the water.
A Grey Heron near by, a Green Woodpecker flew in to the island trees.  Two more recent Mallard broods. c30 Greylags, including juvs.

Shawell sandpit/landfill; evening.

Female Shelduck agitated and calling as if young nearby, but none seen.

Two Lapwings, Little Grebes still, one on nest, a pair busy elsewhere and a well grown juv feeding (from the first brood hatched).

Two red Kites.  Green Woodpecker.

14th June - Sunny light/mod NE, 26C

Stanford reservoir; evening.

Two Gadwall broods of 5 and 1 duckling respectively.

Common Terns with chicks too.

Cuckoo still calling.

Common Gull - looks like juv going in to 1W plumage.

13th June - Sunny, 28C, light NE

Misterton area; morning

Goldcrest, Treecreeper, Blackcap singing still, Spotted Flycatcher.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Seven Little Egrets flushed by a Fox.

Lapwing and Shoveler young all present still. 

c 60 Starlings, vast majority were juvs.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Lapwing and the three chicks still, also the Shoveler pair and seven ducklings.  

Six Little Egrets, a Grey Heron, two Little Ringed Plovers.  Four Swifts over bank.

Shawell Sandpit/landfill; evening.

Little Grebe on nest, single drake Pochard, single Lapwing.

Only the four juv Egyptian Geese were together, I wonder the the adult was.  Unfortunately for them plenty of Foxes about, an older cub was seen close by.

11th June - hot 30C, light NE

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

11 Little Egrets (highest count for me is 16).  Four Grey herons. Shoveler and Lapwing chicks still present.  Two oystercatchers.

Summer Leys NR; afternoon.

Visited hoping to see the Purple Heron, however it did not show whilst I was there.

Plenty of the expected birds around the reserve.

10th June - sunny, hot 29C, light ENE

Willey;

A Red Kite flew over low westwards (0820), then another/same seen flying over low eastwards (1700h).

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

Notable was three Lapwing chicks feed along the waters edge.  Nine Little Egrets feeding and a Black-tailed Godwit (looked like same bird as the other day).

Eyebrook Reservoir; afternoon.

Notables included a female Wigeon, two Red Kites.  Reed Buntings feeding young in nests.

Rutland Water; afternoon.

Notables included Cattle Egret and Hobby from Snipe hide. Two Redshanks from 360 hide.   House Sparrows feeding young in boxes at AWBC.  Several garden Warblers, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs still singing in the wood.

9th June - sunny, 20C, mod ENE

Willey;

Our Swallows have young, I saw them taking a faecal sac out of the shed today.

Also, a Small Copper the paddock, not seen one here for a very long time.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Four Ringed Plovers still.  Otherwise very similar to recent days..

Shawell Sandpit/landfill; evening.

Peregrine hunting.  Two Cormorants this evening.  Egyptian Geese family resting on the long islet.  

Green Woodpecker heard. Four Sand Martins and c15 House Martins.

8th June - cloud receding to sunny day, light-mod NE, 17C

Shawell sandpit/landfill; afternoon.

Egyptian Geese family again.

The original Mute Swan pair with 5 cygnets still, surprisingly another adult with five cygnets was also present - but I've not seen aits partner. 

20 Red Kites, a Buzzard.  

A Moorhen was present, which is not too frequent here, also a Cormorant was on an islet.

Several House Martins were feeding in the area and over the water.

Two Large Skippers were noted.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Four Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, a Little Ringed Plover and Black-tailed Godwit were present.

Eight Little Egrets and a Grey Heron.  Two Shelducks.

The Shoveler family still present.

c40 Starlings feeding on the pasture, plenty of juveniles in the flock.

7th June - cloudy am, clearing slowly to give sunny pm, light ENE, 18C

Willey; evening

A Kestrel and Red Kite were hunting over the grass being picked up for silage.

Stanford Reservoir; afternoon.

A great find by Chris Hubbard today, a singing Marsh Warbler near the Leics reedbed.  It was often heard singing, in the bushes right next to the path, but very difficult to see.  A couple of brief views as it sat on the edge of the bush were enough to enable many species to be ruled out, and the song confirmed it.

A Little Grebe was near the dam, also two Mistle thrushes and a Hobby overhead.

6th June - cloudy, light steady ENE, cool again, 15C

Lilbourne Meadows; afternoon.

Shoveler family  - only seven ducklings counted today.

Common Sandpiper, two Ringed Plovers, three Little Egrets, a Grey Heron.

Several Swifts feeding along the bank and over the flood area, along with Swallows.

Shawell Sandpit/landfill; afternoon.

More Gulls present today on the water, just need the level to drop to get the islands back to see rings!

Egyptian Goose adult and four large Goslings/juvs still present.  One Little Grebe nest has been flooded out and they seem to have a new nest close by.   A single SHelduck

27 Red Kites., plenty of Ravens c 50.

Soar Brook Lake; evening.

On adult Little Grebe feeding a chick on the water.  A Yellow Wagtail pair around lake edge.  

A Single Cormorant.

Four Grey Herons, two were juveniles.  Single Oystercatcher.

c25 House Martins, c10 Swallows were feeding over the lake and 10+ Swifts - a reflection of the cool weather!

5th Ju ne - Light wind NE, 15C, mostly cloudy

WIlley; a Jay this morning flew in to Hurls Furlong spinney from A5 direction.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening

Four Ringed Plovers, four Little Egrets, a Greenshank, Lapwings.

Shoveler and Oystercatcher families present

4th June - sunny, light NNE, 19C

Lilbourne Meadows; morning.

The Shoveler pair and ducklings were showing well again.

One Greenshank, all the other recent migrant waders seem to have departed.  Four Little Egrets.

DIRFT/A5 Pools

Little Ringed Plover pair with four chicks running about feeding.

3rd June - sunny, 20C, light ENE

Lilbourne Meadows; evening

Wood Sandpiper again, seven Ringed Plovers, Greenshank, three Redshank, a Dunlin, Oystercatcher family again.

A pair of Shoveler with 8 very young duckling.

Five Little Egrets and a Grey Heron.,  a Buzzard carrying food.

2nd June - cloudy am, sunny pm, mod NE, 17C

DIRFT/A5 Pools; evening.

Two Sanderlings and four Ringed Plovers were present.  Also, a drake Shoveler.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Waders included a Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank, four Redshanks, Oystercatcher pair with two large youngsters/juvs, 11 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin.

Four Little Egret and a Grey Heron, a Shelduck pair flew in for a while. A drake Shoveler.

The Yellowhammer pair are still around, probably have young now.

1st June - cloudy, 14C, mod NE

Stanford reservoir; afternoon.

Highlights were a flock of 13 Common Scoter and eight Black Terns.

Male and female Cuckoo heard.

Lilbourne Meadows; evening.

Four Redshanks, six Ringed Plovers, a Shelduck and Shoveler.

Six Little Egrets and a Grey Heron.